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Army recruitment paper leak: Pune court extends officer’s custody till May 28
Lt Col Bedi allegedly sent the questions to a storekeeper from Delhi Cantonment, Vira Prasad Kotiswamy Narnepati (41), who was arrested on May 15. Narnepati’s police custody remand was also extended till May 28 by the same court on Monday
A Pune court on Tuesday extended the police custody of the army officer arrested from Secunderabad, Telangana, in the army recruitment paper leak case. A total of 12 arrests have been made so far in the case since February 28 when the nationwide exam was supposed to be held at 40 centres with 30,000 aspirants.
Lt Col Bhagat Preetsingh Sartajsingh Bedi’s remand has been extended till May 28. “He was presiding over the committee that was overseeing the exam procedure. He saw the paper, wrote the 50 questions by hand on a paper, and sent a photo of that to the earlier arrested person,” alleged public prosecutor Premkumar Agarwal.
Lt Col Bedi allegedly sent the questions to a storekeeper from Delhi Cantonment, Vira Prasad Kotiswamy Narnepati (41), who was arrested on May 15. Narnepati’s police custody remand was also extended till May 28 by the same court on Monday.
A source close to the investigation said the two may have destroyed both their phones used for the transactions after the police raids.
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“They have consented to an extended custody so there was no argument from our side. They are cooperating with the investigation,” said defence advocate Sudhir Shah.
According to Laxman Borate, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), crime, Narnepati allegedly received ₹700,000 for the questions, of which, he paid ₹300,000 to Bedi. “He paid ₹300,000 to the Lt Col for receiving the paper. But once police raids began and the exam was cancelled, he sent the remaining money back. All these transactions were in cash,” he said.
The nationwide recruitment exam had to be cancelled hours before it was held.Two separate offences were registered, in Vishrantwadi police station, and Wanowrie police station respectively, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code; Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractices at University Board and Other Specified Examination Act, 1982; Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (2018 Amendment) and Information Technology Act.
So far, the arrest of one person in both the cases has confirmed a link between the two cases.
The army and the police are jointly probing the case.
